Today we’d like to introduce you to Malia Swanson.
Hi Malia, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I went into medicine wanting to be present with my patients, know them, and help them work towards healing. I quickly realized early on in medical school that I was going to have to practice outside of the box of corporate, insurance-based healthcare if I was going to have a fulfilling career. I did my residency after medical school in Family Medicine. Here, I learned how to practice reactive medicine. I define reactive medicine as throwing medications and specialists at problems and not spending any decent time on prevention and education.
I saw patients as if on a treadmill every 15 minutes never having time to address the root cause of their illness. I knew that this method of medicine was not bringing healing to patients and was not sustainable as a career. After hearing about direct primary care (DPC) as an avenue to practice medicine in a way that honors the needs of patients and practitioners, I knew this was the only plausible path forward. My husband, a registered nurse, and I, a family medicine physician, started our DPC, Boulder Valley Direct Primary Care, in May of 2023. Patients pay a monthly fee in exchange for unlimited appointments with me.
Our visits are longer. I prioritize listening to my patients, often learning from them. I also prioritize my patient’s autonomy. My patients are the best judge of what their lives will and should look like and I simply present more knowledge and options for them to choose from. I am easily accessible by email and form strong relationships with my patients so that their medical care becomes less last-minute urgent care and more lifestyle improvement and prevention care. I see kids to older adults for all things related to their health. I also have a focus on perimenopause. We do low-cost medication dispensing, and lab draws from our office.
DPC takes the hoops out of pursuing medical care for patients and brings back the doctor-patient relationship from the good old days. Our patients wait approximately 0-5 minutes to see me. They see the same provider every time. If there is ever an added cost for a lab test or a medication, we discuss the pricing beforehand to ensure price transparency. I do procedures for no added cost for members including IUD placement, toenail removals, skin biopsies, etc.
The best part of my practice is that I hold a panel of 200-300 patients at a time, unlike most insurance-based practices which see 2,000-3,000 patients. I know my patients by name and enjoy the continuity and healing I have seen through this model of care.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Starting a business was a difficult journey. I relied heavily on the advice from direct primary doctors that started before me. We kept our overhead small so we could remain autonomous as owners in our decisions rather than be subject to early high overhead. This allowed us to continue to spend quality time with our 3 young children. My husband did all the woodworking for our office. Our biggest startup costs were buying medical equipment like an EKG machine and minor surgical tools.
Starting a business as a married couple was also taxing but helped us to work on communication and helped us each in areas of weakness. Each time a patient needed a new test or procedure we would do the difficult heavy lifting of creating protocols acquiring the supplies figuring out the details. We sent many lab tests to ourselves to iron out the process. Our patients have been forgiving as we have had hiccups along the way.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I do Family Medicine. I see kids to older adults. I do minor surgical procedures, women’s health procedures, and a range of other tests and procedures you might find in a family medicine practice or urgent care. I am known for my care of women in the menopause transition. It is really hard to find practitioners that have done the extra work to stay up to date with menopause and so I love being able to offer this resource to those who need it.
I also am known for my wider breadth of practice. I bring in lifestyle, natural, and Western medical-based prevention and treatment options. I also offer home visits and employer site visits at the workplace. We offer discounted memberships for employers who want to provide quality, affordable healthcare for their employees.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
People interested in learning more about becoming a patient can sign up for a free 30-minute phone call introduction to the practice on our website Bouldervalleydpc.com. Other physicians looking for mentorship in starting their own DPC can also reach out through our website.
Pricing:
- $140.00 per month per adult for membership
- $120.00 per month per child for membership
Contact Info:
- Website: bouldervalleydpc.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bouldervalleydpc/?next=%2F
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089762105197
Image Credits
Blu Poetry
